Neuropsychological sequelae of ethylene glycol intoxication: a case study

Ingestion of Ethylene glycol (EG) can result in a clinical syndrome marked by renal, cardiopulmonary, and neurological dysfunction. We present a case study addressing EG intoxication with neurological, radiological, and neuropsychological findings several days to weeks after initial ingestion and again at follow-up six months later. In our case study, CT scans of the head on days one and two post EG ingestion were essentially normal, as was a brain MRI six months later. An MRI of the brain on day five revealed nonspecific cerebellar white matter abnormalities. Neuropsychological assessment at three to four weeks post admission indicated global cognitive impairment with particular deficits in attention, processing speed, constructional ability, language, and memory retrieval. Results at six months follow-up indicated partial improvement in overall cognitive functioning with remaining deficits in processing speed, naming, and constructional ability. These findings suggest that EG intoxication is capable of causing lasting neuropsychological sequelae despite evidence of relatively normal neuroradiologic findings.